


a quiet solidarity

by orphan_account



Category: Never Have I Ever (TV)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, thank you for asian representation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:01:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23954269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The first dinner after Devi moves in with Ben. Ben struggles to find the right words, yet Devi feels safe all the same.
Relationships: Ben Gross/Devi Vishwakumar
Comments: 5
Kudos: 168





	a quiet solidarity

Sitting across each other, to strangers it would look as if Devi and Ben were on a date. A first date, to be specific, as the two sit there in awkward silence, waiting for the other to start a conversation. 

After asking Ben if she could stay over at his place, Devi spent the rest of the day pondering her decision. Maybe she should have just gone to Fabiola and Eleanor. Despite everything, maybe they would understand. They were after all, still her best friends... Right? Unwilling to admit it, but Devi had too much pride to do that, so she shrugged the thought out of her mind.

Before they actually got here, Devi thought that it was going to be easy. They were two... Friends, she supposed, just hanging out. Now actually sitting here, in Ben’s house  **alone** with  **_ him _ ** ? She didn’t know why, but it was a lot harder than she thought it would be.  It’s gonna be cool, she thinks, trying to convince herself. They had had dinner countless times when they were younger after spelling bees or Math Olympiad tests. Though, that did often end in squabbles across the dinner table and their supervisors having to remind the pair that they were in a public place and for the sake of their school’s reputation  goddammit **SIT _DOWN_** ! 

Okay, so maybe that pep talk wasn’t the best. Devi fiddles with the hem of her shirt, chewing on her lip. Only for a split second, she feels a gaze on her and glances up, meeting Ben’s eyes. Huh, when did Ben get so handsome?

Ben raises an eyebrow before Devi realises: Shit, she’s staring. She hastily looks back down, and she can feel Ben doing the same. 

Ben Gross never had nothing to say. You could ask anyone in their school. Ben always had a, albeit lame, thing to say. Here, Ben finds himself dumbfounded. For the first time in his life, he’s at a loss for words. Ben has no fact to boast his knowledge, no famous person to brag his connections, no snarky comment about Devi Vishwakumar. In fact, she’s sitting here, vulnerable and Ben not only didn’t feel any sort of hatred towards her, he actually felt a sort of fondness in his chest. A fondness that warmed you in the winter and cooled you in the summer. A fondness that, Ben didn’t know how to explain, and didn’t know why his chest was tightening at the thought of Devi. 

“Thank you for letting me stay here, Ben.” Devi starts, “I really appreciate it.”

Ben looks up from his barely touched food and at Devi. “Anytime. It gets lonely here anyway. My parents are never home so it’s nice to have someone around other than Patty.” 

Any and all feelings of uncomfort slips away as Ben fixates his eyes on Devi. He always knew she was pretty, but he never thought of her that way. She was nothing more than his arch-nemesis. 

Devi smiles at him, and all of a sudden, Ben becomes aware of his whole body. He can feel his heartbeat in his head. Maybe this is a sign of friendship, Ben thinks, picking up his fork to twirl his spaghetti. There is a moment of silence, and Ben uses the time to gather himself. 

“I don’t wanna pry,” Ben says, “but why did you run away?”

Devi scoffs under her breath. “Where do I even start?”

“Well,” continues Ben, shifting slightly and sitting up, “You could start with why you decided to come to my place instead of going to Fabiola or Eleanor’s... Or even Paxton’s?”

“Because,” Devi clenches her jaw, “Paxton refuses to acknowledge me now and my friends think I’ve been a shitty friend, so we’re on a ‘friend break’.”

“What’d you do wrong?” Ben asks, genuinely curious. 

“I don’t know.” Devi admits, “I was just trying to be at my best for everyone. I just wanted to help and-“ 

She lowers her head. Ben’s heart breaks as he looks at Devi’s small form. She’s shaking, struggling to speak before finally uttering barely above a whisper, “I messed it all up.” Devi bites her lip harder, desperate not to cry in front of Ben.

“I’m a failure.” 

Devi breaks down, quietly sobbing. 

Ben doesn’t know what to say, or how to make her feel better. But he knows he has to try. 

Devi doesn’t notice as Ben stands and shuffles next to her. He sits by the floor next to her. Ben hesitates, before reaching out to place his hand onto of hers.

For a while they sit there in silence. Ben’s hand stroking Devi’s as she tried to calm her breathing.

“You’re not a failure.” Ben says, looking at Devi. “You’re the furthest thing from it.”

Devi glances down at Ben and laughs softly. “I must look so stupid now, don’t I?” Devi asks, sniffing as she wipes the tears from her face.

Ben reaches for a tissue and hands it to her, “Not anymore than usual, David.”

Devi laughs again, accepting the tissue with both a thanks and an elbow in Ben’s face.

Despite everything they’d been through, Devi trusted Ben. She locks eyes with him.

“Thank you, Ben.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you all for reading! i haven’t written anything in a long time, so it’s really bad but still— i felt i had to get it out there. i hope you guys found something to enjoy, and as again, thank you :)


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